


Confidence

by lauriegilbert



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-25
Updated: 2012-02-25
Packaged: 2017-10-31 17:49:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/346780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lauriegilbert/pseuds/lauriegilbert
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of the prequels to Weasleyville.  Originally posted February 28, 2004.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Confidence

"Neville, can I see you for a second?" Harry asked as the DA finished up another long practice.

Neville nodded and went over to the couch Harry had sat on, waiving for Luna and Ginny to go on ahead of him. Sitting down beside his friend, Neville looked at him with fear in his face.

"Are you afraid of what I'm going to tell you Neville? You look like you're ready to bolt."

Quickly, Neville started. "I know I haven't been doing as well as everyone else Harry. But that doesn't mean I can't do this. I know I can, I just have to keep working. Please don't kick me out Harry. Please!"

Harry put his hand up and covered the other man's mouth. "Neville, you've known me for over five years now. Do you really think I'd kick you out? Especially since I don't have any reason to do so?

"But, even Luna beat me today, I couldn't do anything right. Of course you'd have a reason to."

Sighing, The - Boy - Who - Was - Exasperated explained, "Neville, you are one of the most powerful wizards in the school. Also, I know that Dumbledore has talked to you and explained that you and I are in this together, whether we like it or not. Your problem doesn't lie in your skills but in your confidence. Your afraid of anything that could hurt you in any way. That's why I've gotten you a confidence tutor."

"A tutor? For confidence? But Harry. . . who? And how do you teach someone not to be afraid?"

"How isn't up to me, its up to your tutor. And as for who, its going to be the most self-assured wizard I know."

Neville's face blanched with horror. "No. . .Harry.. . he'll kill me he will! How can you expect me to learn confidence from a future Death Eater?"

"What on earth are you talking about? If Bill Weasley is a Death Eater I'll surrender to Voldemort right now wearing a pink tutu and bunny slippers."

"Weasley. . .Bill?" Neville fell back on the couch in relief. "I thought you meant Malfoy."

"Malfoy isn't self-assured, he's pompous, arrogant and a right asshole. There is a big difference between the tow, as Bill will quickly show you."

*************

"Neville, this is Bill Weasley, Ron's older brother. He's staying at Hogwarts for awhile while a curse wears off."

"A curse?" the timid boy asked as he clutched Trevor a little tighter.

With a laugh, Bill turned around to show Neville how he now only had one cheek to his bottom, rather than the traditional two.

"My last job for Gringotts got a little more interesting than expected. So now I have to wait a month for my ass to reappear, and another after that to lose the tail."

"Tail?"

"Yup, a damn fine one I might say too, but that's not something for a public audience, if you know what I mean."

Blushing deeply, Neville just nodded, trying to keep his mind from picturing what Bill's bubble butt and tail looked like without pants on.

"Now Neville, what is it that intimidates you the most?"

"Professor Snape," he answered with assuredness in his voice.

"Then, for the next few hours, pretend I'm Snape."

That made the image vanish instantly.

***************

About a week later, Bill and Neville were practicing dueling. No matter how had the boy tried, he always missed his target by over a metre.

Finally Bill looked at Neville and said, "If you keep closing your eyes, you'll never hit it. Try again keeping your eyes open."

He did, and this time only missed by a foot.

"Better! Now I can see how bad your aim is, rather than your guessing skills."

"I'm never going to learn this. The bad guys should just come and kill me now."

"Longbottom, what did we say about talking like that? You've already proven yourself worthy in numerous ways. Now we just have to show the world. Let's try this a different way." Bill moved behind Neville, wrapping arms around him, placing a hand on each wrist. Moving Neville's arm, he showed him the exact way to aim, whispering in his ear, "You'll aim much better if you do it this way."

With his ear sending a tingling sensation all the way down his body, Neville could barely breathe. He'd never felt like this before and didn't understand it, but knew he had to focus on his aim right now, not the sensations in his lower regions. Taking a deep breath, Neville gave a silent prayer that tried to aim, all the while having Bill's arms wrapped around him.

He was greatful in more than one way when those arms saved him from falling down in surprise. Neville had successfully turned the Snape practice dummy into a bunny rabbit.

************

"Concentrate harder! You can do it Neville!"

"I can't!"

"Yes you can, I beleive in you. Now, harder!"

"But its going to hurt!"

"Of course it is! Now do it!"

"I can't!"

"Fuck Neville, do it!"

"Fine!!" Neville turned around. "Crucio!"

When Neville saw the spider cringing in pain because of what he'd done, he fainted.

"Neville?" Bill lightly smacked his cheeks while watching for signs of consciousness "Neville? Come on, wake up!"

"Wha. . ?" Neville lifted his head then let it fall back again when the pain reverberated through his skull. "What happened?"

"You did it! You managed the curse!"

"I did, didn't I!" he whispered in a state of wonder.

"I'm so proud of you!" Bill exclaimed, pulling the younger Gryffindor into a huge hug, wondering what Neville would do if he kissed him, and why he was wondering that in the first place.

**********

"Bill, can I ask you a question?"

It was late after one of their practice sessions and both men were reclining largely on the couch in the unused classroom.

"Of course. What do you want to know?"

"Are you.. . um. .. you know. . .hell. Bill, are you gay?"

Shocked, Bill didn't answer right away. After about a minute, which Bill stared at the wall across from him and Neville fidgeted with discomfort over the silence, he quietly said, "Yes Neville, I do prefer wizards over witches. but my question for you is why did you ask?"

"Because I wanted to make sure it was okay for me to do this," and with that he reached over and pressed his lips against the red-head's. It only took a moment for the shock factor to fade, and it wasn't long before Bill was opening just enough, and Neville's tongue did just that thing, and each other's hand touched that certain spot. . .

Minutes or hours later, when both boys looked throughly snogged, Bill caught his breath enough to say, "Well, looks like confidence isn't a problem anymore."

***********

Neville was working in the greenhouse one day when a pair of strong arms came around him, pulling him against a well-muscled chest.

Shivering as the man's tongue licked his earlobe, the plant he had been holding fell unheeded to the floor. As he turned into his lover's arms, Neville kissed him passionately before asking, "Do you really have to go?"

"You know I do, love. But I promise to return. And until then, we do have all evening."

"But, where? Your room already has another person in it."

"You do sleep in a romm at this school too, do you not darling?" Bill asked while doing things that should have been illegal to Neville's collarbone with his teeth.

Two hours later, Ron Weasley screamed like a girl when he returned to his dorm room to find his older brother on all fours with a very naked Neville behind him.

Almost blushing, Bill said, "Ron, meet the future Mr. Neville Weasley."

"That's Weasley-Longbottom actually," Neville corrected, a very un-Neville like smirk on his face.

Ron almost fainted with shock.


End file.
